Ranking the Most Shocking Deaths in ‘Final Destination Bloodlines’!

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Following a 14-year absence, the cherished horror series Final Destination is back with renewed intensity. The latest addition to the hugely successful franchise, titled Final Destination Bloodlines, marks its sixth installment and has been in production for 25 years since it first began in 2000. Each movie centers around a distinct protagonist who experiences a premonition of a catastrophic event that leads to numerous deaths, only to save a group of people from the disaster. In doing so, they unknowingly disrupt Death’s plan. However, Death never forgets and seeks retribution in increasingly gruesome ways for the survivors. This time, Death means business, and the usual formula has been given a fresh twist – a first for the series.

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The series titled Bloodlines centers around college student Stefani Reyes (Kaitlyn Santa Juana), who keeps experiencing a recurring dream involving her long-lost grandmother as a young woman, caught in a chilling incident of a tower collapse during the late ’60s. Upon returning to her hometown, Stefani seeks answers from her grandmother about the meaning behind this dream and finds a way to prevent the ominous fate that seems destined for her family, involving a grim end.

As a die-hard fan of this movie series, let me tell you that the demises depicted in this latest installment are some of the grisliest I’ve ever seen – and believe me, they don’t call it a horror franchise for nothing! What sets these deaths apart is their emotional intensity. Unlike any other in the series, Death has its sights set on an entire family here. The kills are so inventive that they leave you on the edge of your seat, wondering what gruesome fate awaits next. So, let me walk you through each death in Final Destination: Bloodlines, ranked from least to most chilling.

Warning: Spoilers for Final Destination Bloodlines ahead.

7
Iris Campbell

The film starts in 1968, focusing on a young woman named Iris (played by Brec Bassinger) and her boyfriend Paul (Max Lloyd-Jones). They’re headed to an unexpected dinner at Skyview Tower, resembling Seattle’s Space Needle, which houses a restaurant and bar on an observation deck. As Iris wanders around with Paul, she becomes increasingly aware of seemingly ordinary happenings that could lead to catastrophe, which appear unnoticed by others. Following a chilling premonition where the glass dance floor shatters and the entire tower collapses, killing everyone present in a gruesome manner, Iris successfully evacuates people from the dance floor and the tower before it falls apart.

In the current timeframe, we follow our heroine, Stefani, and discover that Iris has eluded Death for several decades. She managed this by studying the omens, compiling a diary detailing every instance where Death targeted survivors of Skyview and their relatives, and eventually settling in a secluded woodland cabin, residing there for two decades. Upon Stefani’s search for answers, Iris (played by Gabrielle Rose) shares this information with her while also engaging in conversations with Death, who is determined to claim Iris’ life within the house by orchestrating strange accidents.

In a panic, Stefani flees, doubting her grandmother’s sanity. Curiosity getting the better of her, Iris steps outdoors for the first time in twenty years to demonstrate Death’s workings to Stefani. The instant Iris exits and presents the journal to Stefani, Death triggers a weather vane to fall and pierce Iris through the mouth cruelly. This act was meant to convey a message to Stefani, but it lacked the anticipated impact given how long Iris had avoided Death’s retribution.

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6
Darlene Reyes

In simpler terms, Darlene (played by Rya Kihlstedt) is the estranged mother of Stefanie and Charlie (Teo Briones), who had departed when Stefanie was only 10 years old. She is Iris’ second-born child and learned from her own mother to perceive Death as a constant threat, always seeking signs of it around them. After the funeral of Iris, she reappears in their lives due to encouragement from her elder brother, Howard (Alex Zahara). He urged her to stay in town and attempt to mend her broken relationships with her children. Despite Stefanie’s reluctance, Darlene decides to remain and aids Stefanie in concocting a plan to outwit Death and preserve their bloodline.

In this series, Death is hard to outwit. When it’s Darlene’s turn on Death’s list, she opts to spend her remaining days at Iris’ fortified cabin to shield her kids from harm. Unfortunately, upon their arrival, Darlene’s RV overturns into a water body, trapping Stefani inside. Later, the cabin experiences an explosion, burying Charlie under debris. Despite this, Darlene manages to rescue Charlie and tells him to find his sister so she can take refuge in the cabin and survive for as long as possible. Just as she finishes giving these instructions, a massive lamp post collapses from the blast, splitting Darlene right down the middle. Although it happened swiftly, it was destined to occur.

5
Stefani and Charlie Reyes

At Iris’ cabin, Charlie skillfully slices through Stefani’s seatbelt that had become stuck. Regrettably, this happens after Stefani drowns following a prolonged struggle underwater. Remarkably, Charlie is able to revive her. This event can be seen as a form of defying Death, as they essentially allowed Stefani to die and then return to life – a concept that was first presented in Final Destination 2, when Kimberly (AJ Cook) flatlined and was resuscitated. Interestingly, this is the first time the series has hinted at this since then. Believing they have outsmarted Death, the movie transitions to a week later, showing Stefani dropping Charlie off at his prom date’s house.

Later on, Stefani’s father, who happens to be a doctor, reveals an unusual detail about Stefani’s accident – she didn’t truly die when submerged underwater. Contrary to what Charlie might have thought, he hadn’t revived her since her heart was never still. Just then, a train veered off its tracks due to a chain of events and smashed into the neighborhood. Frightened, Stefani and Charlie hurriedly escaped, but two logs from a nearby log truck that had been affected by the train wreck fell and pierced them both, instantly taking their lives. This rather predictable ending, reminiscent of the classic “Final Destination” style, adheres to the series’ original themes. However, it is one of the more exaggerated, computer-generated death scenes in the film.

4
Howard Campbell

Howard was the eldest child of Iris, the one she was carrying when she had her premonition at Skyview Tower. He didn’t accept any of the tales his mother shared about Death or her designs during his upbringing, dismissing them as signs of her instability. This is why he declined to share any details with Stefani regarding Iris or her whereabouts. Following Iris’ demise, Howard and his kin hosted a family barbecue in their backyard, inviting the entire extended family, including Darlene.

This sequence seems to have been lifted directly from the “Final Destination” script of imminent demise, where a string of seemingly unrelated incidents culminate in an incredibly bizarre accident. A glass cracks and its shard ends up in Charlie’s drink after being placed in an ice bucket by mistake. Bobby invites Charlie to jump on the trampoline with him, causing Charlie to set it up. A beer bottle gets knocked over, turning on the hose which inflates and causes the gardening tools resting on it to shift positions.

As a cinephile, I can’t help but feel like I just lived through a scene straight out of “Final Destination”. You know, that uncanny chain of events where Bobby tears the trampoline and plunges through it, sending Julia scrambling as her Jenga tower topples. That tower, in turn, takes down Charlie’s glass, which somehow finds its way into the grass. Poor Howard steps on it, losing his footing, just as a rake falls onto our lawnmower, igniting it and running right over Howard’s face. If this sequence wasn’t featured in the trailer, it would have been one of the most jaw-dropping deaths the movie had to offer.

3
Bobby Campbell

Bobby, the youngest among Howard’s children, is often seen as the most innocent, yet shares a strong bond with his elder brother, Erik (Richard Harmon). Following three tragic family deaths, Bobby begins to believe Stefani’s theories about Death having a specific plan. He accompanies his family to the hospital where JB, a friend of Iris, works, as JB claims to know someone who had cheated Death and lived. It turns out that JB is none other than Bludworth, portrayed by the late Tony Todd. Bludworth discloses that he was the child Iris saved at Skyview, explaining his extensive knowledge about Death.

Following instruction from Bludworth, Bobby and Erik concoct a strategy, excluding their family, aimed at rescuing Bobby. A recurring aspect of Bobby’s persona in the film is his potentially fatal peanut allergy. Ingeniously, Erik proposes that they make Bobby consume something with peanut butter to induce a life-threatening reaction, followed by medical revival. The peanut butter candy they opt for gets jammed in the vending machine, so Erik vigorously shakes it, causing the candy to be dislodged and the spring holding it to break free.

In an unused space, the siblings secretly stay put so that Bobby can sneakily consume some sweets. However, unbeknownst to them, the MRI machine gets inadvertently activated. As Bobby continues to munch on his treats, the machine’s power level escalates, attracting any nearby metallic objects towards it. The ensuing pandemonium finds Bobby reaching for his Epipen. After managing to inject himself with it, he tries to stand up only for a spring from the vending machine to burst through the doorway, piercing him in the forehead and spinning around due to the magnetic force. The incident is both shocking and gruesome, yet tinged with sadness as Bobby was a delightful character we came to like.

2
Julia Campbell

In Howard Campbell’s family, it was Julia who unfortunately encountered an untimely and gruesome end at the hands of Death first, contrary to Stefani’s initial expectations that it would be Erik. Since Death targeted the offspring of the Skyview survivors sequentially by age, Stefani had anticipated that Erik would be the first victim. Stefani was so determined to protect Erik that she neglected Julia’s skepticism at first. On their walk back home, Julia shared her concerns with Erik and Charlie about potential dangers such as a soccer ball accidentally causing harm or setting off a chain reaction that might lead to someone’s demise.

As I pull up to the Campbell residence, my heart pounding with excitement for the day’s movie marathon, Stefani is still attempting to warn Erik about being more cautious. Meanwhile, Julia strides out, ready for a run. Our friendship seems a bit strained as she brushes off Stefani’s concerns, saying she’s had enough of her advice.

Julia takes off down the street, passing some kids playing soccer. Unluckily for her, one of them boots the ball right at her. Caught off guard, she stumbles and tumbles into an open garbage can at the end of their driveway. Just as I watch in horror, a garbage truck rolls up and scoops the can, hauling Julia along with it.

Stefani, Charlie, and Erik rush after the truck, trying to stop the driver. Stefani manages to climb onto the back of the truck and reaches for Julia’s hand, but alas, the compactor has already been set in motion. The gruesome sight that unfolds is one I won’t easily forget – the compactor crushes Julia’s head, and rips off the arm Stefani was desperately trying to save. This grisly death scene stands out as one of the most disturbing and agonizing in this entire film franchise.

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1
Erik Campbell

Following Julia’s passing, it emerges that Death had originally intended for Erik to die before her due to his non-biological relation to Howard. This is because their mother, Brenda, had an affair with a neighbor and never disclosed this secret within the family. Consequently, Erik does not share a bloodline with any Skyview survivor, making Bobby the one who should have been next.

Just as Bobby, Stefani, Darlene, and Charlie were preparing to depart for their visit to JB (who is Bludworth) at the hospital, Erik impulsively decides to accompany them. This spontaneous choice was motivated by a desire to interfere with Death’s plans in an attempt to save his brother.

In an unoccupied hospital room, where Erik and Bobby were secretly tucked away so that Bobby could indulge in some peanut butter candy, a surprising incident occurred: The MRI machine malfunctioned, causing its power level to surge to its highest setting, and magnetized items from across the hospital began to be drawn towards the room. In this case, Erik was a tattooed individual with numerous piercings, which started tearing out of his body and into the MRI machine due to the intense magnetic field.

In a chilling turn of events, Bobby’s wheelchair was drawn towards a powerful machine, shoving Erik against it. The magnetic force was so intense that the wheelchair pinned him to the machine, and his body piercings only served to pull him further inside. After what felt like an endless moment, Erik’s body was tragically crushed by the wheelchair and severed by the machine. This grisly death stands out as one of the most distressing in the series, made all the more harrowing by its prolonged duration.

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2025-05-25 01:34